Metallic railroad-tie.



PATENTED MAY 10, NU L H. W. GANDEB. METALLIC RAILROAD TIE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 10, 1903.

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WITNESSES:

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Iatented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY l/V. GANDER, OF RUDY, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLIC RAILROAD-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,263, dated May 10,1904:.

Application filed August 10, 1908. Serial No. 168,868. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY W. GANDER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Rudy, in the county of Montgomery and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMetallic Railroad- Ties, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railroad-ties, and particularly to that classthereof known in the art as metallic railroad-ties.

It has for its object to provide a hollow metallic railroad-tie havingmeans on its base for engaging the road-bed, and thereby preventing thetie from creeping in any direction, to provide seats for the railstherein, and to provide a brace for the tie and rails constructed andarranged to be extended laterally to engage and hold the rails securelyin their seats or to be contracted to disengage the rails and allow themto be removed from their seats.

It has for a further object to provide a railroad-tie of the characterset forth which will possess advantages in point of simplicity,inexpensiveness, facility of adjustment, convenience, effectiveness, andgeneral eiiiciency.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the metallic railroad-tie,the brace for the tie and rails being removed. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view takcn on the line a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view ofthe metallic railroad-tie for a single set of rails, showing rails inthe seats therein and the brace for the tie and the rails. Fig. i 'is amodification showing the form of metallic railroad tie which I employata switch, the brace for the tie and rails and the wedge which I employtherewith located between the intermediate rail and one of the outsiderails. Fig. 5 is a modilication showingthc form of metallic railroadtiewhich I employ for a double set of rails, the braces for the tie andrails, and the wedge located between the intermediate rails. Fig. 6 is aside view of the brace for the tie and rails. Fig. 7 is an end view of amodification showing the prongs separate from the tie and boltedthereto.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the hollow metallicrailroad-tie, cast, bent, or otherwise formed to present concavo-convexwalls, prongs 2 on the lower edges of the side walls for engaging theroad-bed, thereby preventing the tie from creeping in any direction,slots 3 in the side and top walls forming railseats, grooves 4:,extending laterally from the base of the slots to receive the outsideflanges of the rails, and a central slot 4. The brace 5 is locatedwithin the hollow tie and comprises open frames 6, having forked ends 7,which engage the inner flanges of the rails, and a rotatable shaft 8,having oppositelythreaded ends 9, which engage threaded holes 10 in theinner endsof the frames, and a central nut 11, located in the slot 4: inthe tie and adapted to be engaged by a wrench for the purpose of turningsaid shaft, and thereby causing the forked ends of said frames to engageor disengage the flanges of the rails. The frames 6 of the brace contactwith and brace the upper wall of the tie and are in turn supported onbars 12, extending across the interior of the tie.

Referring to the modification Fig. 4. it will be seen that the onlydifference between it and that shown in the first three figures residesin the employment of a wedge 13 between two of the rails at a switch,said wedge having forked ends 1 1, which engages theinnerfiange of theoutside rails and the outside flange of the inner rail.

Referring to the modification Fig. 5 it will be seen that the onlydifference between it and that shown in, the first three figures residesin providing two nut-slots. 15, a central rail-seat 15 for two rails,the employment of a wedge 13 between said rails, and the employment oftwo braces 5, one located between each side rail and one of theintermediate rails.

Referring to the modification Fig. 7 it will be seen that instead offorming prongs integral with the hollow metallic railroad-tie 1 separateprongs 2 are provided and bolted or otherwise secured on the lower edgeof the tie.

The operation is as follows: The rails are inserted into the tie throughthe slots 3 therein and placed on their seats. The rotatable shaft isthen turned by means of a wrench applied to the nut 8,which causes theframes to move outwardly and the forked ends thereof to en- TOO gage theinner flanges of the rails, sliding said rails on their seats untiltheir outer flanges engage the grooves i, whereupon the rails will besecurely clamped in their seats. To remove the rails, the shaft 8 isturned in the opposite direction, which will cause the frames to moveinwardly and their forked ends to disengage the flanges of therails,when they can be slid out of the grooves 4 and withdrawn from theseats 3.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details ofconstruction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as itis manifest that variations and modifications may be made in thefeatures of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the deviceto various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to allsuch variation and modification as properly fall within the scope of myinvention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. The combination with a railroad-tie having means forengaging the flanges on corresponding sides of a plurality of rails, ofa brace for engaging the flanges of the rails comprising open frameseach having a threaded hole in its end leading into the open spacetherein, and a rotatable member having oppositely-threaded ends arrangedto engage said holes and be projected therethrough into or to bewithdrawn from said open spaces, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a hollow metallic railroad-tie havingrail-receiving slots, of a brace for engaging the flanges of the railscomprising open frames each having a threaded hole in its end leadinginto the open space therein, and a rotatable member havingoppositely-threaded ends arranged to engage said holes and be projectedtherethrough into or to be withdrawn from said open spaces,substantially as described.

3. The combination-with a hollow metallic railroad-tie havingrail-receiving slots, and removable engaging prongs on its lower edges,substantially as described.

4:. The combination with a hollow metallic railroad-tie havingrail-receiving slots and removable engaging-prongs on its lower'edges,and a brace for engaging and holding the rails in their slots,substantially as described.

5. The combination with a railroad-tie having means for engaging theflanges of a plurality of rails, non-extensible wedging means forengaging the flanges of the rails, and extensible means for engaging theflanges of the rails and holding the rails in engagement with the tieand the non-extensible means, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a railroad-tie having means for engaging theflanges on one side of a plurality of rails, a wedge for engaging theinner flanges of two of the rails, and means located between two of therails arranged to be extended or contracted to hold the rails inengagement with the engaging means on said tie, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of thesubscribing witnesses.

HARRY W. GANDER.

I WVitnesses:

AMELIA (J. SLOTTERER, W. S. SLOTTERER.

